Solar mod turns Ford F-150 Lightning EV into a backup home generator
Ford began deliveries of its F-150 Lightning last month, and the electric version of the truck has a new option with a lot more utility than an all-weather floor mat.
You can add a bidirectional charging system that turns the EV pickup into a backup generator capable of powering your home for up to three days.
Sunrun, the country's largest residential solar power company, has developed a groundbreaking charging system with Ford.
California-based Sunrun is also trying to leverage its charging system to embrace another technology: rooftop solar power.
"There's a real connection between people who drive EVs and want to charge their EVs with clean power,"
The Illinois Power Agency, which oversees the Renewable Portfolio Standard, projects to double residential solar power in the state over the next two years.
For Ford F-150 Lightning owners, adding rooftop solar to the Sunrun EV charging system provides an additional off-the-grid benefit.
Under normal circumstances, the Sun powers the house, which charges the EV. But what happens when the power is turned off?
The F-150 Lightning Extended-Range Battery System can store 131 kilowatt-hours of energy—enough juice to power a home for three days.
Other Stories
TESLA MODEL Y WITH 500-MILE RANGE COULD ALREADY BE HERE
Ford's new Raptor truck shows there's still life in the gas business